Saturday, June 19, 2010

South Africa 2010: referees share headlines early in this World Cup

So much planning. So much investment. So much preparation. So much hype and so much anticipation, and still FIFA cannot get the most basic of all sport competition right.

Refereeing is a terrible, disgrace to the integrity of the game. Backing it with shallow meaningless statements and even worse yet, ignorance, is disgusting. Down right disgusting.

We could not be sure South Africa could get their stadiums built and up to par in time. We didn’t know if transportation and accommodation would be brought up to modern day standard. But we could count on one thing for sure. Refereeing would find some way to tarnish the spectacle.

And it has. Already.

Just ask the Yanks who in the most obvious of ways, have been robbed of sure advancement out of the group stages of the competion.

So what could be more appropriate than printing my column “Did I Really Say That”, from the February edition of Inside Soccer Magazine.